Spotlight



1,638,716 L. o. suRLl-:s

SPOTLIGHT Aug. 9, 1927..

Filed Aug. A'7, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l TIL-zn. l 41 attain,

Aigg; 9, 1927.

L. O. SURLES SPOTLIGHT Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 7, 1925 gjm/vendo@ ,19,5 .M le. m. r w u 5%/ 0 /a. N m9 m.l L

Patented ug. 9, 192?.

UNH ST TES PTENT FFICE.

SPOTLIGHT.

Application led August 7, 1925. Serial No. 48,861.

This invention relates to spot-lights and has for its principal objectthe provlslon of novel means for producing the relative longitudinalmovement between the lamp and l reflector involved in the focusing ofthe spotlifrht. v

l:Another object of the invention is to provide a focusing attachmentfor converting ordinary flashlights into spot-lights structurally soorganized as to be readily adapted Vto co-ordination with -any of anumber of various types of flashlights. u

Still another object of the invention 1s the provision of an attachmentfor flashlights 16 which combines ina single v structure the v lightingswitch and focusing mechanism.

' Other objects of the invention will appear as the followingdescription of illustrative embodiments thereof proceeds. 89 In thedrawings Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly in section, showing acommercial type of flashlight with my invention applied thereto,converting the flashlight into a focusing spot-light. .Y v

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the up er end of the ashlight, a portionthereof being broken away.

Figure 3 is a section taken along the line 3 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a front elevation, partly in section, showing the inventionap lied to a commercial liashlight, with an a ternative form of lampsuppprt.

Figure i5 1s a ont elevation, partly in section, showing a slightlymodified form of the invention.

Figure 6 is a cross section taken along the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 nis .a fragmental sectional View, on the line '7-7 Figure 6,showing the lighting switch in circuit breaking position.

Referring now in detail to the several ligures, the numeral 1 representsthe metallic casing of a' fiashlight of that type in which the lightingswitch consists of an open ended metallic cap 2 screwable upon the lowerend y of the. casing and having a non-conductive vpush button 3 closingthe open end of said carrying a conductive plate 4.- in circuit with thenegative pole of the battery 5 through a spring 6, said spring normallypressing the push button against the cap so as to maintam la gap 7between the plate 4 and the' end of the casing 1. When pressure isexcapand retained thereby, said push buttonerted upon the push button 3 theplate 4 is moved 1n opposition to the spring 6 against the end of thecasing 1, thereby closing the circuit through the battery 5, lamp 8relector 9 and casing 1 producing an illumination of the lamp whichpersists ,while the push` button is thus depressed, the-circuit beingbroken by releasing the pressure upon the push button. In order to causecontinuous illumination of the lamp, the cap 2 is screwed upon thecasing, bringing the plate 4 into permanent contact with the end of thecasing to close the gap 7. vIn the form in which this-flashlight isordinarily manufactured there is an upper cap 10 carrying a glass 11,which cap 1s screwable upon the threaded upper end 12 -of the casing,thus clamping the reector 9 in place.

The present invention, as applied to a flashlight includes a casingextension 13 threaded at both ends as shown at 14 and 15. A refiector 16is mounted 4for longitudinal movement in said extension, said reflectorbeing riveted or otherwise secured to a longitudinally slidablefinger-piece 17 arranged externally of. the extension, the rivets orother securino' means passing through a longitudinal sibt formed in thecasing extension 13. The refiector is provided centrally' with anaperture 18 of sutlicient size to pass over the lamp 8. The position ofthe reflector within the casing extension is such that, when saidextension is screwed down into final position upon the u perA end 12 ofthe flashlight, the reflector will have a range of longitudinal movementsuicient' to cause the focus of said reflector to travelr f I from'apoint forwardly of the lamp filament to a int rearwardly of saidfilament. Ordinari y, when the focus of the reliector and theincandescent filament 'do not coincide the spot-light produces thediffuse illumination common to ordinary flashlights but when thereuector is lengitudinauy shifted by longitudinal sliding movement ofthe ingeriece 17I until the focus of the reilector an the incandescentfilament coincide, the rays of light emanating from the flashli ht areconcentrated into abrilliantly illuminated spot,

the flashlight-bein thus converted into a spot-light. When t e casingextension 13 is in place, the reecto'r 16 su ersedes the ori nalreflector 9 of the flash 'ght, robbing t e latter of its refiectivefunction so that 1t becomes merely a lam holder. The casing extension ispreferab y formed with an in-' which is to bear upon the flange of theref 'flector 9'and hold it rigidly in place. In

. made to contact by screwing the applying the casing extenslon to theflashlight, theupper cap with the glass 11 is removed from the casingand the extension 13 intercalated between said casing and upper cap, thelatter being screwed upon thc upper end of the extension. In order tolocate the filament of the lamp in a position in which it will be inoperatlve relation to the focus of the reflector 16, I have rovided avplug 32 ofinsulation material aving a central conductive tpin 33extending axially thereof and-expose on both the upper and lowersurfaces, against one end of which pin the central terminal'of the lampmay be final seat in its socket. The lower end of the pin 33 makescontact with the positive pole of the battery. Other expedients forproperly'locating the filament of the lamp may be substituted for theone herein described without departing from the invention.

Itis apparent that no change or alteration inthe construction of thecommercial type of flashlight is required in order to apply my 'sim leIand efficient device' for converting the flas light into a spot-light.

If'the flashlight were originallly turned outfrom the-factory with thespoti ht attachment as a standard part -thereof,t e reflector 9 wouldprobably he done away with and a chea er and efficient lamp holderprovided whic i might take the form of the plain disk shown in Figurev4: having the threaded `lamp socket 21adjacent to its central 'portion,said disk being preferably made unitary with the casing extension, asshown.kr When this disk is made part of the caslng extension the lamsocket is always centered y Aso that a perfect vocusi'ng of the light isascenter of the reflector.

sured, This casingextension may be applied also to any standard lengthflashlight tube,

vas one complete part, accomplishing the conamp to aV as described ismerely adaptable'for those commercial forms of flashlight in which aside lightingswitch is provlded.

My spot-light attachment may `beapplied' to a flashlight having theordinarymetallic sion 13 with the disk 20 shown in Figure 4 or againstthe reflector 9 illustrated in Figure 1. This is done by mounting thelamp socket upon a disk 22 of insulation material forming a permanentgap between the lamp socket and casing or Casin extension, and providinga switch-control ed gap in the casing extension itself. Referring now tothe detail construction of Figure 5, the casing extension 23 screws uponthe upper end of the casing 1 holding the fiber disk 22' in placeagains't'the upper end of the casing. The reflector 16 is mounted to bemovable longitudinally of the casing extension 23 in the mannerpreviously described in connection with the form of the inventionillustratcarried by an arcuateplate 34 circumferentially slidable alongthe cam-like terminus 29 of the switch blade 26. By moving the pin 28 inone direction the free end of the blade 26 is permitted to move towardVersion 0f the Same t0 a Spot'light with the K the flange 25 to bringits contact 27 into assurance that the lamp will always be in the I Itwill be understood that when the disk 20 ismade part of the casingextensionit will be necessary to remove the upper' cap 10 in. order toinsert a new lamp. If an unusually long casing is used it'may be foundnecessary to provide the disk 20 with a downward extension, such as thatshown at 31 in Figure 5 for bringing the central terminal of the lampinto conductive contact with the middle lpole of the battery. l y Y Itis to be noted that, since the gap controlledvb the lighting switch isat the rear endV of t e flashlight, in that type just described noproblem arisesrelating tothe iny sulation of any of the partsconstituting my spot-light attachment, or with which it` is directlyassociated, andr thatl the attachment circuit-closing relationship tothe flange 25. The pin 28 extends lthrough a circumferential slot 30 1nthe wall of "the casing extension in adjacency to the finger-piece .17.so'

that both the lightingpvswitch and focusing means .are in positionp-to'be manipulated by the same finger. The-slot 30 lis. covered at all timesby the plate 34.

In order to accommodate my spot-light attachment to flashlight tubes ofvarying lengths, it is proposed to provide the lamp socket, wherenecessary, with an extensiontion, yet it is to be understood that thephysical means which I have chosen to illustrate the invention are in nosense to be considered limitations to the broadest interpretation of theclaims permitted by the state of the prior art.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is:-

1. An attachnwnt for converting into a Spot-light a flashlight having acasing and a detachable glass carrying cap, including a casing extensionadapted to be intercalated between the casing of the flashlight and thedetachable cap thereof, a reflector carried by said casing extension andlongitudinally movable therein, said reflector having an apertured endadapted to encompass the lamp of said ashlight to permit said lamp tocome into and out of the focus of Said reector when the latter is moved,and means on said casing extension for operatingvsaid reflector;

2. An attachment for converting into a spot-light a flashlight having acasing and a detachable glass carrying cap, including a casing extensionadapted to be intercalated between the casing of the flashlight and thedetachable cap thereof, a reector carried by said casing extension andlon 'tudinally movable therein, said reflector aving an apertured endadapted t0 encompass the lamp of said flashlight to permit said lamp tocome into and out of the focus of said reflector when the latter; ismoved, and a longitudinally slidable finger-piece 0n said casingextension operatively connected to said reflector.

3. An attachment for converting a flashlight into a spot-light includingan extension adapted to be secured to the upper end of a apertured ondof such size as to. pass over a e lamp Within said lamp socket, saidreflector being so positioned with respect to said l lamp socket as topermit the lam to com'e into and out of the focus of sai reflector bylongitudinal movement of the latter, and a finger-piece externally ofsaid casing extension for actuating said reflector.

4. An attachment for converting a flashlight into a spot-light comprisinan extension adapted to be secured to t e upper end of the ashlightcasing, including y a focusing reflector and a lighting switch, andreflector operating means and switch o erating means arranged inconvenient a jacency on the outside of said extension.

5. In a fiashlight of that type having a metallic casing in circuit withone pole vof the batteryof the flashlight, focusing means thereforincluding an extension securable to the outer end of the flashlightcasing, a lamp socket in fixed relation to said eXtension and normallyinsulated from said casing, a focusing reflector carriedby saidextension in operative relation to the 1am Within said lamp socket, alighting switcii in electrical contact with said extension for closingthe circuit through said lamp socket, and reiiector operating means andswitch operating means arranged in convenient 'adjacency on the outside`of said extension.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

LAWRENCE O. SURLES.

